THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Flurries of transactions at Tokyo bank machines abruptly shut thousands of ATMs as the Japanese government warned of major power blackouts, almost a week after a massive earthquake and tsunami.As authorities struggle to avert catastrophe at a crippled nuclear-power complex 150 miles to the north, Tokyo faced a test of nerves.
Some residents are leaving, some are applying for passports or hoarding what they can - from food to cash and gold, a safe haven during times of crisis.
At the second-floor office of the Tokyo Passport Centre in the city's Yurakucho district, queues snaked to the first floor.
"We don't know the reason but suddenly since yesterday we have had 1.5 times more people than usual coming to apply for a passport or to enquire about getting one," said Shigeaki Ohashi, an official at the passport centre.
Areas usually packed with office workers crammed into sushi restaurants and noodle shops have gone quiet. Many schools are closed. Companies have allowed workers to stay home and voluntarily cut power usage, submerging parts of the typically neon-lit city in darkness. » | Thursday, March 17, 2011
